Originally appeared on E! Online
Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley found strength in one another.
The couple reflected on meeting for the first time in 28 months after being pardoned by President Donald Trump amid their respective prison sentences.
“It was surreal,” Julie explained on a clip from the June 28 episode of “My View With Lara Trump.” “People have asked, ‘Was it weird? Was it awkward?’ It really wasn’t.”
Todd didn’t feel so far from his wife of 28 years, despite serving his 12-year sentence in Florida while Julie was serving her seven-year sentence in Kentucky.
“I was never away from her because she was in my spirit the entire time,” he explained to Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump. “I thought of her every second of my day. So, when I hugged her the first time, it was like I was home.”
President Donald Trump signed pardons for reality TV stars Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley on May 28. The couple have been serving federal prison sentences after being convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. Trial attorney and legal expert Misty Marris breaks down what these pardons mean for the Chrisleys and explains if they are still considered convicted felons.
“It was not like I had been missing,” he continued. “I knew I was coming home to the same woman that I left. Now, when I say the same, I’m talking about in my heart spiritually.”
READ Everything Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley Have Done Since Their Prison Release
The 56-year-old — who shares Chase Chrisley, 28, Savannah Chrisley, 27, Grayson Chrisley, 18, and Chloe Chrisley, 11, with Julie, as well as Lindsie Chrisley, 35, and Kyle Chrisley, 33, with ex-wife Teresa Terry —acknowledged that life will likely be different than when they first entered prison.
He added, “We have changed, and if we did not change in these 28 months, it would have been wasted.”
As the patriarch begins a new chapter with his family, he’s still standing by his innocence. After all, he vehemently denied committing tax evasion and wire fraud, which he and Julie were convicted of in 2022.
“I would have remorse if it was something that I did,” Todd said during a May press conference. “The corruption that went on in our case is going to continue to unfold.”
E! News reached out to the Department of Justice at the time of the press conference, but the agency declined to comment.
While Todd continues to emphasize his innocence, he knows it was Savannah’s advocacy that ultimately led to their release.
“She has fought a long fight, and for any parent to see their child fight this hard, it’s a double-edged sword,” he said at the podium. “It’s a blessing, and then your heart breaks because your child has been placed in that position to fight for you, when, as a parent, you’re supposed to fight for your children.”
PHOTOSTodd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley
